Hopetown man may lose limb after grisly cutlass attack

A West Berbice youth faces the possibility of losing a limb after he was severely chopped by another man yesterday afternoon.

Jason Robertson, 17, was receiving treatment up to press time last evening for the wounds he suffered during a brutal assault at the hand of a friend’s brother, at Hopetown Village. Robertson was chopped on both arms ands and legs.

He was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where he was stabilized before being transferred to the Georgetown Hospital for further treatment.

A female cousin told Stabroek News that Robertson was herding his cows to their pen for the night, when the attack occurred. The pen is located in a backdam, some distance from his home.

She said that he was sitting on the fence when he was accosted by a man with a cutlass, who told Robertson that he did not appreciate the problems he had with his brother. The cousin explained that Robertson was having problems with a friend of his since last week.

She said that the man dealt Robertson several chops about the body and then ran away.
Robertson himself ran as far as the railway line, a little distance from the pen, before he fel to the ground.

Another cousin told Stabroek News that another “cowboy was coming through the bushes. Jason holler fuh he.” By then other cowhands came through the area and one of them went to tell the family.
The woman said that when they went to get Robertson he was conscious and told them what happened, although he was somewhat incoherent.

He was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital in a taxi.
Meanwhile, police had still not arrested Robertson’s assailant up to press time.